


Sobbing on the street

by Kimmylia



Series: Sobbing away [3]
Category: One Piece
Genre: AU, Comfort, Emotional, Gen, Hiding, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Marimo, OC, Problems, Relief, Roronoa Zoro - Freeform, School, Stress, Trouble, Trust, Vinsmoke Sanji - Freeform, Wearing a Mask, Zoro - Freeform, alternative universe, cry, other dimemsion, sanji - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-08-14
Packaged: 2020-07-19 16:49:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19977337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kimmylia/pseuds/Kimmylia
Summary: From all the times that I had cried, this one was probably at the right time at the right moment.





	1. Chapter 1

Just another day at school… 15 minutes left before the bell would ring, and then today would be finally over. I could not wait till the day I would graduate. IF I would graduate, you never know. Either way I was so done with this school… Let me explain this a little.

When I first came to this school everybody was so nice to me. We all got along together. They helped me at school with lessons I had problems with, like Math. And in exchanged I helped them and I even taught some of my classmates the basics of drawing. Because they loved how I draw little dragons in my school books. So they wanted to learn it a little. On our breaks we would always sit with each other to eat our lunches. We looking at people walking by and were chit chatting about random stuff. We always had funny conversations and had a lot of fun in class. We walked with each other from the station to school and back, always waiting till we were all there before going.

After my mom passed away everything changed. Rumors came and my classmates started to whispered behind my back. ‘She died in her sleep, no wait she was hit by a car, scrap that I heard she could not take life anymore and killed herself.’ The story’s became bigger and weirder. They all gave me knowing looks like her passing away was my fault. When you think you know a person they stab you in the back. They started to ignore me, whisper some more around me and even began to bully me. They even now said my dragon drawings were childish doodles. Childish doodles they wanted me to teach them in the beginning! After that I began to walk alone, eat alone, study alone. And well, do everything at school alone. The group projects were the hardest. We had to interact with each other. My mom always told me. You are doing school for yourself, not for others. I know she did not mean it this way. But It was a hard lesson I had learned and took for granted.

Even home was not the same anymore. My dad was always yelling at me. I couldn’t do a thing right anymore. I began as his little angel and ended up as his burden. I could not tell him about school. He would never listen. And if he would? He would thinking of me even lower then before. And the little friends I used to have were fakers and left me. After some time I closed up in myself, I build thick walls around me. And I was not planning to take them down anytime soon. I learned the hard way that it was better to be alone. Even if someone would try to interact with me again, I did not dare. And they did not try. Something was blocking me from the inside. Maybe it was fear for being rejected again. Or I had just lost trust in humanity.

I looked at the clock, 5 minutes. If I was fast I could leave before anyone else was ready to go. That way I could walk without the whispers behind me. I began to draw some more doodles in my book. And yes shame on me, they were mostly dragons. Here was another fine spot where I could squeeze a little cutie! Smiling some I draw some tiny wings to its little round body.

Then the bell went off, letting us all know the lesson was over. I survived another school day. Before I could put my stuff away one of my classmates walked past me and slide my book over the edge of the table. Nice, very mature. Sighing I crouched down and grabbed my book, putting it in my bag. Thanks to this little delay I walked to the station with classmates whispering behind my back. Even If I had my music on I could still hear them. ‘Did you hear? Not only her mom killed herself because of her, I heard her dad is also on the point of breaking.’ Well she is not wrong about my dad… ‘Ooh gosh you know what I think, I think he will go on the same road as her!’ A giggle escaped out one of them. ‘Can you blame him I mean just LOOK at her. She has gone all emo and depressive.’ I turned my music a little higher, there was only as much as I could take before I would break… I could feel a tear crawling its way down on my cheek.

Suddenly one of them shrieked! When I looked behind me I saw the group look at a big muscular man, with GREEN HAIR! It was Zoro. One of Sanji his friends. Lately he started to visit the Baratie more and more often. Usually was there when I was there as well. So yeah okay I saw him a lot. To be honest, we barely talked. My opinion? He was too cool to just… randomly start talking to. I did not even know anything about him! Yeah… okay. To know one and another you should talk to each other. Point taken.

He just stood there glaring at my classmates. Talking to them. He was looking very cool, while my classmates looked… pale. I really wondered what he was saying to them... Then he started to walk up to me. I quickly wiped my eyes dry.

‘Long time no see kiddo.’ My classmates walked past us as fast as they could. What had just happened? I slowly took my headphone off. “Z-Zoro?” He just smiled at me and started to walk again. “Hey wait! What happened? What did you say to them?” He shrugged his shoulders. ‘Just told them my opinion about their attitude, they were spreading nasty rumors.’ Ooooh god he heard… He probably has everything figured out. ‘Oi don’t worry, we already had a clue that your classmates where not that nice. You never talk about them. To think of it, you never talk about school. Or about your friends… Or about anything in particular you do.’ Well that was true… “Sooo… You and Sanji have been talking a lot about me?” A little smirk appeared on his face. ‘Let’s put it this way, the cook is worried about you and sometimes has this one sided conversation with me about it.’

I let his answer sink in. So he does not know it, he just had a feeling. But wait a minute. “Then why are you here? Has he asked you to keep an eye on me? Because I can take care of myself!” He snorted. ‘Don't get ahead of yourself without the right answers. I was just at the right place at the right time. I had to be here to give a Swordstyle workshop. But yeah I knew you were on a school somewhere around here.’ Swordstyle? Now that sounded interesting. “Swordstyle as in knives and swords?” Maybe he has a cool sword in his bag! ‘Hmm something like that, but with a more traditional weapon, a katana.’ Holy shit, he was cool! I mean he has an awesome hair color, green. He was pretty muscular and now he can even fight with a katana. Can he get even cooler? Of course I was not going to tell him that. Besides, he probably knows that.

‘So. They bully you?’ I kept quiet but gave a small nod. ‘Yeah thought so. Look. I am going to be honest here. I never really got bullied, probably no surprise to you. So I really don’t have a clue what to tell you. Ignore them. Talk back. Flip them the middle finger. But no matter what. Do what you want. Don’t let them bring you down. Or let them be in the way of who you are. Got it?’ I gave a weak smile. “Got it.”

‘So tell me, what where those girls talking about?’ Crap, I am not going to like this conversation. “Just, stuff…” I could almost hear him roll his eyes. ‘I could hear them you know. Every rumor has some trued in them. I am just here to listen If you want.’ To be honest cropping everything up has not worked either. I really wanted to tell him and Sanji, especially Sanji. He has been there for me when I needed it the most. Even if he did not know a thing, he was still there for me. I guess I am more afraid of what they would think about me if they knew. The silence stretched on.

“My mom died some time ago. She was long gone before I met Sanji or you. She died from Tuberculosis. We don’t know where she has picked it up, but we were lucky that we did not get infected. She… became worse over time. Loosing weight because she was not hungry. She had no energy and just… kept coughing and having fevers. No matter what they gave her, she just did not get any better.” My gaze turned sad as I could remember how she looked like at the end of her days. More skin on bones then anything else. The pain in her eyes.

‘What about your dad?’ I kicked a little pebble, sending it flying. “He does not really care what I do and when I do it. Never really had. But now that mom is gone, even lesser. He spends his days mostly yelling around. The yelling increases when my grades decreases.” A scowl came on Zoro his face. ‘A real sunshine I hear.’ A sad smile came on my face. “More like a solar eclipse…” We both had to chuckle about that. It felt good to tell someone a little about it after all. He did not make me feel sick of myself. He gave a nice vibe what makes talking nice. A bit of weight was lifted from my shoulders.

We both sat down on a bench on the station and just waiting. ‘So… you go to school by train everyday?’ I nodded. I was so used to it that it did not mean much to me anymore. I still remember the first time I had to take the train. I was so nervous… I did not know how it all worked. How it would be. To be surrounded by so many other people. But after so many times it became… well still crowded. But boring. You just sit and wait. So now a days I read in the train to pass the time.

Zoro turned to me and we locked eyes. ‘Kim. You know, If you want to talk to someone you can always go to Sanji right? Or even me If you want.’ I searched in his eyes. They were a beautiful green. I did not see any pity, just concern. “I will keep it in mind, thanks for listening.” He petted my head and stood up. ‘Alright. I have to go give another workshop. See ya later Kim.’ Wait did he just… “Did you just walk with me for a talk? You did not even have to get a train?” He grinned at me. ‘Maybe I did, maybe I did not. Besides I got a better ride. A motorcycle.’ With that he walked away.

While I waited for my train I began to think. I could go to All Blue after diner. I think it was time to tell Sanji as well. He deserves to know. ‘Look who’s here. Its emo Kim.’ I looked up at the voice. My eyes went wide. It were my classmates who were chased away by Zoro. ‘Where is your little muscular friend with the freakish hair? Did he leave you all alone.’ Stacy stood before me. She was the one with the biggest mouth in class. She always told others her opinion, and expected for others to agree. She has a nasty smirk on her face, the others who stood beside her were looking unconformable. I was beginning to feel hot, her aura was giving a wrong vibe. I had a bad feeling.


	2. Chapter 2

‘You are late for dinner. If you wanted any food you should have been here on time. I am not going to order more food!’ My dad was laying on the couch watching television. He did not even spare me a glance. “I am not hungry, I’ll be upstairs.” For the rest of the evening. I stumbled my way upstairs, threw my bag in a corner and let myself drop on my bed. My body was aching all over. Stacy and the others did not go easy on me. I had some nasty rainbow colored bruises on my body below my clothes. I think I’m not going to Sanji tonight, neither tomorrow. 

I curled myself in a ball. Today I upgraded from ‘being bullied’ to ‘punching bag’. Why did I even exist? I did not know anymore. I looked at the stuffed rabbit my mom once gave me. “Don’t give me that knowing look, you don’t know a thing about me.” I took the rabbit and cuddled with it. Sighing I looked at my drawing table.

School had given us an assignment today. We had to make a poster about the things in our lives that mattered to us. What made us happy. To be honest I was jumping to make it. But… I was unsure what to put on it. Besides, my bruises were hurting a bit to much to sit at my broken chair to draw. I sighed again before I closed my eyes, falling into a restless slumber.

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A couple of days later the bruises were almost gone. So I decided to pay Sanji little visit. He was not so happy that he had not seen me in a couple of days. They still don’t know where exactly I lived, so no one could check on me. Sanji was even afraid that Zoro had scared me away because of our little talk. But Zoro had not told Sanji what we had talked about. Which I was really grateful for. So after a quick meal (because my dad had not feed me again) I finally decided to tell him a little about myself. Not too much details, just… the basic stuff. A long time ago I decided I trusted Sanji, today I opened up to him. After the story about how home was and how school went he gave me a big hug. Which kind of hurts, because I still had some bruises.

We sat down with some warm cocoa and talked some more. Again I felt relieved how I was treated after I told him. He did not gave me pity or a weird look. Just a hug to say ‘it’s okay’. When the first costumers came in he took off to cook. So I started to draw something. When I was almost done and out of my drawing state I noticed someone was sitting in front of me. I looked up, It was Zoro. He just stared at me, arms crossed and a frown on his face.

“Hi Zoro, what’s up?” He stared some more. Alright, I admit. This was nerve wrecking. ‘First we haven’t seen you for days. Which is not a problem, because you have a life. But when you show up you are hurt. No It is not visible, no worries. But I can see it in your body language. You are moving stiffer. And when you move a little too much your eyes betray you that it hurts. So Kim, what’s up with you?’ My mouth almost dropped open. He really is something. “Uhm.” How should I explain this… Should I go with the ‘they did not like you, my new bodyguard’? Or ‘They just don’t like my face’? Because the answer is probably both. And it was not like I asked them why they were hitting me before they started the beating session. Fine.

“After you left, my classmates gave me a beating.” His frown deepened. “I-I don't know why okay? They just… did. But after that they have left me alone for the rest of the week. So it is not that bad.” I gave a small smile. Of course he did not bought it. But it looked like he knew I did not wanted to talk more about it right now… ‘Noticed you talking and opening up to Sanji a while ago.’ He had already been here? I nodded some.

‘That is a good thing you know? Sanji is like me a good listener. But, he is a good talker and advice giver as well.’ I nodded some. ‘And he is definitely better at comforting someone then I am.’ He grinned. ‘Trust me.’ Oh I believe him.

He then stood up and ruffled my hair some. Something he enjoyed doing lately. ‘See you around kiddo, keep up the drawing. You are getting better.’ I watched him go again before I continued.

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It was a week later after the beating up. The day of the show and tell of our homemade posters. Tell the class the things in our lives that mattered to us. What made us happy. Why it made us happy and so on. The more details you explain, the better. Of course it does have its limits...

I was pretty proud of my masterpiece. A big A3 format paper. Most would print things out from the internet, cut it in a nice shape and just glue it on the paper. But I had found inspiration by drawing all the things I wanted to show and tell. I had used different colors of pencils. Drawing dragons, music notes, drawing material and so much more on it. I was not ready to show them everything. Why should I let my classmates know I treasured my rabbit plushy? And that I loved spending time with Sanji and Zoro. Even if it is just simply sitting with cocoa beside Zoro and watching Sanji work.

I clutched the poster between my hands as I stepped out of the train, my headphones on with music like always. Taking a deep breath I began to walk. I was ready for this day yeah. The sooner it was over the sooner I could do other things. But a tiny bit of hope in me was… hoping my classmates would be a bit impressed. Or at least act a bit nicer towards me. That was all I asked for.

Suddenly I was being kicked in my back, making me loose my balance. I fell down face first, my headphone falling off my head and my poster rolling away from me. I tried to grab it but someone sat down on my back so I could not move. ‘Well well. If it is not emo Kim.’ I froze up. Stacy… She grabbed my hair tightly. ‘We have some unfinished business don’t you agree?’ I clenched my hands into fists. But from my position I could not do anything.

One of her friends, which was one of my classmates, grabbed my poster. ‘Open it up.’ Stacy ordered, and of course she did. Showing my poster of happiness. I lowered my gaze. Most of the students stayed silent. Then Stacy began to laugh. ‘Oh my Kim! I think you are forgetting we are not in kindergarten anymore. Not only that, you have forgotten so many details. I mean you being alive poisoned your mommy and daddy. You should add a bottle of poison. Or a gravestone. And again for those childish doodles.’ She sighed heavily. ‘Some people just wont learn!’ She pushed my face down into the street bricks. My face hurting some from the rough treatment.

‘...destroy it.’ Stacy declared. I widened my eyes. “No! Please don’t!” The person holding it hesitated some. ‘Do what I tell you or yours is next!’ The poster was being ripped in half, the sound of ripping paper echoing in my head. Then she ripped it again and again. Then threw snowflakes of my poster in the air. I stared numbly at the ground.

Next I could hear someone picking my headphone up, as it scraped some over the floor. Stacy went off my back and took it, twirling it some around on her finger. I slowly sat up and stared emotionless at her. Day by day she ruined my life. And I was getting to a point I started to… care lesser and lesser. I could jump up, screaming and shouting, knowing it will do nothing. Or sit and stare. I knew both actions would lead to the same outcome. Stacy grabbed both ends of my headphone before she snapped it in half. Broken… unfix-able, just like me. She then dropped it to the floor.

She then flashed me a smirk before she walked towards school again. Our classmates following her. I looked down to the ground again and rubbed my soar face some before I began to collect the snowflakes that used to be my poster. Keeping my tears in. I would not cry for that stupid Stacy. But damn I really felt sad and like crying.

When I was almost done a shadow loomed over me. I could not help but to froze up. Who wanted a piece of me now? ‘...what are you doing here? Should you not be in class?’ I looked up at Zoro. His gaze went to my headphone, then the paper pieces in my hands. ‘...are those yours?’ I nodded. “We had to make a poster for class… about things that made us happy and such. But yeah, classmates destroyed it. Including my headphone.” I mumbled.

Zoro sighed before he tugged me up. ‘You better call in sick. Because you are coming with me.’ I frowned at him. ‘No buts, and throw the paper and broken headphone away. Come on.’ 

After we had he tugged me along. Was a bit of a walk, and he called off his job in the meantime. After a little while we stopped by his ride. A green motorcycle. ‘My pride.’ He mumbled as he lifted the seat up to grab two helmets. He helped me to get the helmet on. I was a bit nervous to be honest. Never had been on one of those.

He went on the motor and helped my on it as well. ‘Just hold on to me, and when I take a turn let your body go along. Don’t resist it, will only make steering harder. Got it?’ I gave a small nod and sort of took a deadgrip on him, not wanting to fall off or something. He turned the engine on, making me even more nervous. After he tugged his own helmet on he began to slowly drive some.

The first turn was… strange. And it was hard to… let my body move along with it. Not only that, this all was strange. Being on a motorcycle. With Zoro. And just the whole situation around it. We slowly left the town, and once we came on the highway Zoro began to speed up. Making me clutch more on him. I watched the world quickly pass by. And only now I realized, that this all was not that bad. It was pretty nice! Sure the motor made a lot of noises. But beside that, this was kinda nice.

After a while he slowed down tho. Till he stopped and turned off the engine. I looked some around and noticed we were at All Blue. Huh? Zoro took my helmet off. ‘Get your ass inside. We are going to have a talk. You, Sanji and me.’ I widened my eyes some.

Sighing he took his own helmet off. ‘Nothing bad okay? We just want to talk some, have something to drink. Just the three of us. Because this cant go on any longer. Go on in, Sanji is waiting for you.’ He is? I looked a bit unsure as he went to lock his motorcycle and put the helmets away. 

I went to the front and noticed the sign was saying closed. Oh jesus… They had gone so far for closing All Blue just for me? Going in I noticed Sanji already comfortable waiting with three steaming mugs. He smiled at me. The bright and happy ones he always gave me, and I could not help but smile back as I joined him. Zoro joined us a minute later as well. Even asking me if it was okay for me to have this conversation with him with it. Or if I rather had it with just Sanji. But it was alright. I trusted the both of them so. ‘So, you are finally ready to tell it all huh?’ Sanji had asked, and I had nodded.

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After a while our second mugs of drinks were empty, and I had just finished. I had told them all. How it was at home since my mom passed away. How school has been going. How my graded had dropped but thanks to Sanji had been raising slowly again. How for some silly reason things were always put to blame on me. How I was even beginning to get… afraid of my own father. That home did not feel safe and as a home again. I told them both the things I had tried to hide away. Tried to crop up inside of me. And it felt pretty good.

After I came back from a bathroom break Zoro was gone. It made me a bit sad that he was, but Sanji said that I should not worry to much about it. And that they would like it if I stayed for the rest of the school day. Had called in sick anyway like Zoro had said. And was now mostly watching Sanji. He had opened up again and was serving and cooking around again.

An hour later Zoro came in again, with a two bag that both looked very filled up. He dropped them in the seat across of me and sat down. ‘Remember that poster about happy shit and such?’ I nodded. “How could I forget...” He shove the bigger bag towards me. ‘You are going to make another one, a better one. Here that is. And I will bring you to school tomorrow.’ He smirked at me. “...I uhm. On the motorcycle you mean?” He nodded. ‘Yeah but that is not your biggest concern. You have a few hours to make the poster. So I suggest you better get started.’ 

Taking the bag I looked some through the stuff he had picked up. Pencils, paint, stiffs. Oh even glitter. I sighed a bit. I mean I was thankful for his help. But my mood was a bit… down. ‘Want me to help?’ He rolled out a black a3 paper. ‘I could… draw stars for you? Or paint them. Make them from glitter. What suits you.’ Stars? “Why stars?” He grinned. ‘That is easy. Everyone has dreams. And we usually pray to the stars to help us to keep faith and work for them. So stars on your paper could mean whatever we want.’ Huh… I nodded. “I would like stars from glitter.” He grabbed the glitter bottles. ‘You got it.’

Even if he could not do much, he happily helped me. While Sanji provided us with some snacks and drinks. I stilted in the middle of it all, blinking as Sanji and Zoro were arguing some. Huh… They have been more of a family to me then my own father. I could not help but giggle some, making them look towards me. They… They should be on my poster of happiness. I went to draw some again.

Before I left Zoro and Sanji took me by their sides and gave me the smaller bag. With a brand new headphone. A green one. Sanji had clicked his tongue for the color. But I liked it and had thanked them both before I headed home again.


	3. Chapter 3

It was time. I stood early outside with my back bag and my poster in my hands. Standing before my house. It was a bit cold to just stand here… But that was okay! I yawned some. And okay, I was a bit tired, and nervous. But that was okay as well.

The noises of a motorcycle could be heard through the streets. And soon a green one stopped before me. Zoro held the spare helmet out to me. Taking it I put it on with some effort and his help. Was still a bit hard to figure it out. He patted behind him, signaling for me to get on. Grabbing his shoulders I slipped in behind him. Okay still a bit scary tho. But it was fine.

We began to ride. I looked a bit off to the side, secretly enjoying the ride as well. And we speeded even up more on the highway. This was nice yeah.

The ride was too soon over again. We stood before my school building. Long live High School… Zoro promised to pick me up later that day again. He watched me go into the building, making sure I went in there with no problems from other classmates. 

As soon as our lesson began the teacher called me up to present my poster. Taking my happiness poster I went to the front of the class and hung it up by the others. It was a creation made by me with some help from Zoro. Made of glitter, paint, stiffs and pencils. I proudly told them about my poster. Music notes, stars, dragons and more art of things that I liked, loved and what brought me happiness. And even a chibi drawing of two people that I loved dearly. Zoro and Sanji.

Some of my classmates had looked impressed. But not Stacey. She just looked annoyed. Maybe troubled by the fact that I had picked myself up again. Or well that is what I tried and how I tried to appear before them. The teacher was a bit impressed as well as my poster had been so filled up by so many things. And even if I spend the rest of the day by myself like I usual did, I felt good and happy. 

At the end of my day I almost wanted to walk to the station, till I recognized the sound of Zoro his motorcycle and I remembered he was giving me a ride. Smiling I went towards him and took the helmet. He grinned at me as he saw I was in a good mood. I easily got on the motorcycle behind him. Sitting there like the Queen I felt at that moment. Zoro made the engine roar a bit, just to impress me some I guess. We then started to ride again. Today… felt like a weight was lifted off my chest. And it felt okay to be alive at the moment. Like I was not a waist of space and time. That there were still people that had trust in me and enjoyed having me. Sort of my own mixed up family I guess.


End file.
